Judge orders Malami to discipline NIS lawyer for snubbing court’s order on Odili

Justice Inyang Edem Ekwo of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on Tuesday ordered the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), to initiate disciplinary actions against a Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) lawyer, Jimoh Abdulkadir Adamu, for withholding the international passport of former Rivers State Governor, Peter Odili, in defiance of a court’s order.

Justice Ekwo, who gave the order while ruling on an application filed by the ex-governor, said Adamu acted in unprofessional conduct and must face disciplinary actions.

The judge also ordered the lawyer to appear before the court on January 21, 2022, to show cause why further orders should not be made about his unprofessional conduct.

Odili had in the application filed by his lawyer, Ifedayo Adedipe (SAN), accused the NIS lawyer of deliberate disregard to the lawful order of the court.

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He urged the court to, among others measures, penalise Adamu for disrespecting the court and treating it with contempt.

Adamu, who is one of the counsels representing the NIS and its Director-General in a fundamental rights enforcement suit by Odili, had allegedly refused to return the former Governor’s passport as demanded by Ekwo in an earlier judgment.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain had challenged the seizure of his international passport by the NIS and got a favourable judgment from the court.

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